Array camera architecture implementing quantum dot color filters

• US 9,497,370 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelican Imaging Corporation
• Inventors: Venkataraman, Kartik, Duparre, Jacques, Mullis, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US14/441,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 348273-280
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/003 having two lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0037 characterized by the distribution or form of lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/957 Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/6153 for colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/774 Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/834 Optical properties of nanomaterial, e.g. specified transparency, opacity, or index of refraction

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention utilize array cameras incorporating quantum dot color filters. One embodiment includes: lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers form a plurality of optical channels; at least one aperture located within each optical channel; at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light; and at least one quantum dot color filter located within each optical channel to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of light having a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

Claims

1. A lens stack array, comprising:

lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels;

wherein at least one optical channel includes;

at least one aperture;

at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;

at least a first optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a first spectral band of light;

at least a second optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a second spectral band of light; and

at least one quantum dot color filter is located within each of the first and second optical channels and is positioned to receive a specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter in each optical channel is configured to emit a spectral band of light that is within the same spectral band in response to incident light passed by the different spectral filters in each optical channel.

2. The lens stack array of claim 1, wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is as formed from colloidal quantum dots.

3. The lens stack array of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical channel comprises a plurality of optical channels including spectral filters that form separate spectral channels within the plurality of optical channels for each of the plurality of primary colors.

4. The lens stack array of claim 1, wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of light having a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

5. The lens stack array of claim 4, wherein the spectral band of light that has a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light is a spectral band that is not contained within the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

6. A lens stack array, comprising:

lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels;

wherein at least one optical channel includes;

at least one aperture;

at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;

wherein the at least one spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of ultraviolet light; and

the at least one quantum dot color filter is positioned to receive the specific spectral band of ultraviolet light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of visible light in response to incident ultraviolet light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

7. A lens stack array, comprising:

lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels;

wherein at least one optical channel includes;

at least one aperture;

at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;

wherein the at least one optical channel includes at least one lens element positioned above the at least one quantum dot color filter that is optimized for the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter; and

wherein the at least one optical channel includes at least one lens element positioned below the at least one quantum dot color filter that is optimized for the narrow band of output wavelengths passed by the quantum dot color filter.

8. An array camera module comprising:

an imager array including;

a plurality of focal planes, where each focal plane comprises a plurality of rows of pixels that also form a plurality of columns of pixels and each focal plane is contained within a region of the imager array that does not contain pixels from another focal plane;

control circuitry configured to control the capture of image information by the pixels within the focal planes; and

sampling circuitry configured to convert pixel outputs into digital pixel data; and

an optic array of lens stacks aligned with respect to the imager array so that an image is formed on each focal plane by a separate lens stack in said optic array of lens stacks, wherein at least one lens stack comprises;

at least one lens element;

at least one aperture;

at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;

at least a first optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a first spectral band of light;

at least a second optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a second spectral band of light; and

at least one quantum dot color filter is located within each of the first and second optical channels and is positioned to receive a specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter in each optical channel is configured to emit a spectral band of light that is within the same spectral band in response to incident light passed by the different spectral filters in each optical channel.

9. The array camera module of claim 8, wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is as formed from colloidal quantum dots.

10. The array camera module of claim 8, wherein the at least one optical channel comprises a plurality of optical channels including spectral filters that form separate spectral channels within the plurality of optical channels for each of the plurality of primary colors.

11. The array camera module of claim 8, wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of light having a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

12. The array camera module of claim 11, wherein the spectral band of light that has a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light is a spectral band that is not contained within the specific spectral band of light.

13. An array camera module comprising:

an imager array including;

a plurality of focal planes, where each focal plane comprises a plurality of rows of pixels that also form a plurality of columns of pixels and each focal plane is contained within a region of the imager array that does not contain pixels from another focal plane;

control circuitry configured to control the capture of image information by the pixels within the focal planes;

sampling circuitry configured to convert pixel outputs into digital pixel data; and

an optic array of lens stacks aligned with respect to the imager array so that an image is formed on each focal plane by a separate lens stack in said optic array of lens stacks, wherein at least one lens stack comprises;

at least one lens element;

at least one aperture;

at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;

the at least one spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of ultraviolet light; and

the at least one quantum dot color filter is positioned to receive the specific spectral band of ultraviolet light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of visible light in response to incident ultraviolet light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

14. An array camera module comprising:

an imager array including;

a plurality of focal planes, where each focal plane comprises a plurality of rows of pixels that also form a plurality of columns of pixels and each focal plane is contained within a region of the imager array that does not contain pixels from another focal plane;

control circuitry configured to control the capture of image information by the pixels within the focal planes;

sampling circuitry configured to convert pixel outputs into digital pixel data; and

an optic array of lens stacks aligned with respect to the imager array so that an image is formed on each focal plane by a separate lens stack in said optic array of lens stacks, wherein at least one lens stack comprises;

at least one lens element;

at least one aperture;

at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;

wherein the at least one optical channel includes at least one lens element positioned above the at least one quantum dot color filter that is optimized for the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter; and

wherein the at least one optical channel includes at least one lens element positioned below the at least one quantum dot color filter that is optimized for the narrow band of output wavelengths passed by the quantum dot color filter.